Within the main empirical result, which aims to answer the research questions, the results suggest that both arousal and satisfaction as emotional variables show relative differences in relation with the variables tested to influence them. In the case of arousal as an emotional component of the consumer affective response, out of the nine variables of web atmospherics, six had a positive influence on the level of arousal experienced by the consumer. The opinion of other consumers, web site design, and color scheme had the most influence, while design, product information and background music had the least, but still an influence. It is observable that it is influenced more strongly by consumers’ opinion, web site design and color scheme as each one of them has a Standardized coefficient Beta of 0.289; 0.231; 0.222 respectively. Here these values show us that these independent variables make the biggest unique contribution to the change in arousal, but this considering each of them individually and the rest of them without change.
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However, our study show a particularity in that the music variable show no important influence on the arousal variable (beta=0.42), it clearly shows evidence that online consumers show little persuasion by this variable. This could be the result of two factors; this variable can be controlled by the consumer and can be turned on or off by the consumer preferences of the web site; or, the lack of importance, compared to other variables, might be the result of the survey question for this variable being unintentionally stated differently from the other questions (please see appendix 1, question 9). The survey and results show that the majority of consumers find music as annoying during their online purchase experience. In an overall view of the model it show a good level of significance, which can be translated as an accurate model of the cause-effect relation between the variables.
Thus, as the variables show significant levels of contributions to the dependent variable arousal when using the design structure and the merchandising aspect of the web site as a result they have a more positive attitudinal state based on the main emotion being studied as a dependent variable. Then it is deduced that the attitude seem to be more positive in these term when the music is taken out the model, in a practical way when the music is omitted from the process. In this sense, our findings are relevant and corroborated by other studies that suggest similar aspects like Lorenzo, Gómez, Mollá and Mondejár (n.d.)
Therefore, when assessing research question one, which deal with the effect of the characteristics of the online store environment in relation the the consumers’ affective response, this thesis consequently established a set of prepositions, which have been assessed statistically. Proposition one and two are related to this question, and they intend to explore the relation of influence of the web site attributes (atmospherics and merchandising) on the consumer emotional state (arousal and satisfaction), then we have stated in the proposition one that “the marketing stimuli of atmospherics and merchandising in the online store have a influence on the level of arousal experienced by the consumer” Consequently this proposition has been only partially corroborated, as the result described above explain that the relation presented in the model are statistical significant. However the music variable, as a part of the set of atmospherics, does not represent much influence on the dependent variable, the main issue for only sustaining this idea partially. The variables that do not influence arousal are pictures, speed of the web site and stock and variety.
Cheng, Wu and Yen (2009) have also found that colors influence the emotion states of excitement and arousal in consumers. Although this thesis do not treat colors differently, they found that red colors give higher excitement and arousal in consumers than its opposite on the color spectrum, blue, which have a low arousal and excitement value. The influence of music has also been shown by previous research, with different result in those investigations. As an example, Cheng, Wu and Yen (2009) showed how fast music (played at 92 BPM or higher) results in a high level
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of arousal and pleasure within the consumer. Music that is played with slow tempo (played at 72 BPM or less) results in lower levels of arousal and pleasure. However other researchers such as Lorenzo, Gómez, Mollá and Mondejár (n.d.) in their findings specifically regarding to music, as it has been explained before, found that positive outcomes related to the emotional response by consumer is given when the music variable is absent.
Simultaneously, to answer research question one, the second proposition proposed by this research state that ―the marketing stimuli of atmospherics and navigation in the online store have a influence on the level of satisfaction experienced by the consumer.” As in the previous case out of the nine variables of web atmospherics, five had a positive influence on the level of satisfaction experienced by the consumer. Interactivity, product information, and the design of the web site had the most influence, while the speed of the web site and opinion of other consumers had the least, but still an influence. Thus the proposition is partially supported. The variables that do not influence satisfaction are color scheme, music, pictures and stock and variety. Regarding the result obtained when regressing the variables of atmospherics, merchandising as well navigation cues, the beta value or standardized coefficients indicates that within the variables used in the model: interactivity, product information and the design of the web site produce more relative influence on the dependent variable satisfaction, given the values of beta 0.248; 0,208; 0.174 respectively.
In a overall perspective this set of variables are the ones that best describe the change in satisfaction as the perceived emotional estate of conformity with the environment in which the purchase is done, given that at least 33.5% of the variability in the level of satisfaction is caused by the set of the variables presented at the correspondent level of significance of 95%. Thus the overall model is tested with a proper statistical significance test. In a more specific way to see the whole picture this research show evidences of the aspects that influence the level of satisfaction in the consumer within the environment in which the purchase is done. In a shopping sense satisfaction can be defined as occurring when a product, service, or retail format performs as expected (McKinney 2004). Our findings are in accordance with earlier studies where satisfaction has been treated as the consumer behavioral response, as when Mummalaneni (2005) investigated satisfaction as the outcome of the shopping experience. However our study gives to this a new perspective and treat satisfaction as an emotional state related to enjoyment during the purchase experience, in simple words it is not satisfaction with the product indeed but with the features of the web site that enhance the level of enjoyment in the consumer to produce a consequent purchase.
Szymanski and Hise (2000) found that satisfaction with online shopping is influenced by convenience, information, site design, and financial security. Other atmospheric variables that affect satisfaction include product descriptions, graphics, photos, images, special offers, price, the possibility to
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delete previously selected products, and customer service (McKinney 2004). Further, it has previously been found that navigation cues and site usability have a positive influence on the intention to purchase (Richard, 2005; Lynch et. al 2001).
In an interpretative analysis of the result obtained by this empirical study, the information indicates that it is important that a web site present a good environment based on good atmospherics, because the web site characteristics of ambience and design influence pleasure and arousal which mediates satisfaction. Satisfaction has also been connected to merchandising characteristics, in relation to the amount of information displayed by the web site, in earlier research. Product information is described as the information posted on the web site of the online store that is relevant to the process of placing an order, e.g. price, brand, color size etc (Dadzie & Winston, 2007). Schaupp, Bélanger and Weiguo (2009) confirmed that having rich product information helps the consumer achieve its goals. It also increases the consumer’s satisfaction with the online store web site (Szymanski & Hise, 2000; Schaupp et al. 2009) and has a positive relationship with purchasing intentions (Richard, 2005).
In this sense, our research show relevant evidence that those attributes, as well as with features related to navigation cues, such as interactivity and good speed of the web site, will increase the level of satisfaction experienced by the consumer. In this regard our model have tested that when customized information over the web site is provided, in concise and relevant ways, it increases the consumers’ interest in the products or services offered by the web site, as explain Turban and Genrke (2000). In this sense the aspect of usefulness and ease of use of the web site certainly have been corroborated as being an important influence of the level of consumer satisfaction with the environment in which she or he usually shop.
Going further in our study research question two asked what affective responses consumers experience from the characteristics of the online store environment. To explore this cause-effect relation, this thesis suggests a third proposition to validate our model. Proposition three claim that ―the intention to purchase in a particular online store is influenced by the level of arousal, pleasure and satisfaction produced by the web site.‖ is related to research question two. Our findings show clear evidence that when the emotional states on the consumer have been influenced by the online store features, as the ones expressed here, atmospherics, merchandising and navigation cues then the outcome obtained is the consequent intention to purchase the product or service of that particular online store. As the results described in the previous chapter indicates that the variables arousal, pleasure and satisfaction with the web site’s features, explain at least 52.9% of the variability on the consumer intention to purchase, which has been used as dependent variable. With the nature of our research it was
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impossible to measure an actual purchase but only the intention. With similar conditions Donovan and Rossiter (1982) also assessed that store- induced pleasure lead to consumers being more willing to purchase products and Baker, Grewal and Levy (1992) found that as both pleasure and arousal increases consumers’ willingness to buy. Related to this the appraised beta value show us that satisfaction has the greatest influence on the intention to purchase variable as beta is 0.436. This clearly shows that when consumers are satisfied with the features presented by the online store, they feel motivated to shop there. And this can be judge by the overall significance of the proposed model which has a relevant statistical significance, corroborating in this way the third preposition that support our model.
In accordance with the result, our research found that out of the three variables of arousal, pleasure and satisfaction, all had significant relations with the intention to purchase. Satisfaction with the web site is the variable that influences the willingness of consumers to shop at a certain online store the most. Further, earlier research supports our findings. In this sense our research is more specific in the model suggested as more variables are added as influential to the intention to purchase. Our particular findings are supported by previous researchers, such as by Lynch, Kent and Srinivasan (2001), who found that positive emotions result in enhanced purchasing intentions. Thus based on the findings it is possible to conclude that among the three emotional cues assessed in relation with the intention to purchase, the relation of them toward the dependent variable is perfectly mediated.
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